§ 42-6004 — Exemption from municipal tax; definitions

A. A city, town or special taxing district shall not levy a transaction privilege, sales, use or other similar tax on:

1. Exhibition events in this state sponsored, conducted or operated by a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6) of the internal revenue code if the organization is associated with a major league baseball team or a national touring professional golfing association and no part of the organization's net earnings inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. This paragraph does not apply to an organization that is owned, managed or controlled, in whole or in part, by a major league baseball team, or its owners, officers, employees or agents, or by a major league baseball association or professional golfing association, or its owners, officers, employees or agents, unless the organization conducted or operated exhibition events in this state before January 1, 2018 that were exempt from state transaction privilege tax under section 42-5073.

2. Interstate telecommunications services, which include that portion of telecommunications services, such as subscriber line service, allocable by federal law to interstate telecommunications service.

3. Sales of warranty or service contracts.

4. Sales of motor vehicles to nonresidents of this state for use outside this state if either of the following applies:

(a) The motor vehicle dealer ships or delivers the motor vehicle to a destination outside this state.

(b) The vehicle, trailer or semitrailer has a gross vehicle weight rating of more than ten thousand pounds, is used or maintained to transport property in the furtherance of interstate commerce and otherwise meets the definition of commercial motor vehicle as defined in section 28-5201.

5. Interest on finance contracts.

6. Dealer documentation fees on the sales of motor vehicles.

7. Orthodontic devices dispensed by a dental professional who is licensed under title 32, chapter 11 to a patient as part of the practice of dentistry.

8. Sales of internet access services to the person's subscribers and customers. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Internet" means the computer and telecommunications facilities that comprise the interconnected worldwide network of networks that employ the transmission control protocol or internet protocol, or any predecessor or successor protocol, to communicate information of all kinds by wire or radio.

(b) "Internet access" means a service that enables users to access content, information, electronic mail or other services over the internet. Internet access does not include telecommunication services provided by a common carrier.

9. The gross proceeds of sales or gross income retained by the Arizona exposition and state fair board from ride ticket sales at the annual Arizona state fair.

10. Leasing real property between affiliated companies, businesses, persons or reciprocal insurers. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Affiliated companies, businesses, persons or reciprocal insurers" means the lessor holds a controlling interest in the lessee, the lessee holds a controlling interest in the lessor, affiliated persons hold a controlling interest in both the lessor and the lessee, or an unrelated person holds a controlling interest in both the lessor and lessee.

(b) "Affiliated persons" means members of the individual's family or persons who have ownership or control of a business entity.

(c) "Controlling interest" means direct or indirect ownership of at least eighty percent of the voting shares of a corporation or of the interests in a company, business or person other than a corporation.

(d) "Members of the individual's family" means the individual's spouse and brothers and sisters, whether by whole or half blood, including adopted persons, ancestors and lineal descendants.

(e) "Reciprocal insurer" has the same meaning prescribed in section 20-762.

11. The gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from a contract for the installation, assembly, repair or maintenance of machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property that is described in section 42-5061, subsection B and that has independent functional utility, pursuant to the following provisions:

(a) The deduction provided in this paragraph includes the gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from all of the following:

(i) Any activity performed on machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property with independent functional utility.

(ii) Any activity performed on any tangible personal property relating to machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property with independent functional utility in furtherance of any of the purposes provided for under subdivision (d) of this paragraph.

(iii) Any activity that is related to the activities described in items (i) and (ii) of this subdivision, including inspecting the installation of or testing the machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property.

(b) The deduction provided in this paragraph does not include gross proceeds of sales or gross income from the portion of any contracting activity that consists of the development of, or modification to, real property in order to facilitate the installation, assembly, repair, maintenance or removal of machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property described in section 42-5061, subsection B.

(c) The deduction provided in this paragraph shall be determined without regard to the size or useful life of the machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property.

(d) For the purposes of this paragraph, "independent functional utility" means that the machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property can independently perform its function without attachment to real property, other than attachment for any of the following purposes:

(i) Assembling the machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property.

(ii) Connecting items of machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property to each other.

(iii) Connecting the machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property, whether as an individual item or as a system of items, to water, power, gas, communication or other services.

(iv) Stabilizing or protecting the machinery, equipment or other tangible personal property during operation by bolting, burying or performing other dissimilar nonpermanent connections to either real property or real property improvements.

12. The leasing or renting of certified ignition interlock devices installed pursuant to the requirements prescribed by section 28-1461. For the purposes of this paragraph, "certified ignition interlock device" has the same meaning prescribed in section 28-1301.

13. Computer data center equipment sold to the owner, operator or qualified colocation tenant of a computer data center that is certified by the Arizona commerce authority under section 41-1519 or an authorized agent of the owner, operator or qualified colocation tenant during the qualification period for use in the qualified computer data center. For the purposes of this paragraph, "computer data center", "computer data center equipment", "qualification period" and "qualified colocation tenant" have the same meanings prescribed in section 41-1519.

14. The gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from a contract with the owner of real property or improvements to real property for the maintenance, repair, replacement or alteration of existing property, except as specified in this paragraph. The gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from a de minimis amount of modification activity does not subject the contract or any part of the contract to tax. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) Each contract is independent of another contract, except that any change order that directly relates to the scope of work of the original contract shall be treated the same as the original contract under this paragraph, regardless of the amount of modification activities included in the change order. If a change order does not directly relate to the scope of work of the original contract, the change order shall be treated as a new contract, with the tax treatment of any subsequent change order to follow the tax treatment of the contract to which the scope of work of the subsequent change order directly relates.

(b) Any term not defined in this paragraph that is defined in section 42-5075 has the same meaning prescribed in section 42-5075.

(c) This paragraph does not apply to a contract that primarily involves surface or subsurface improvements to land and that is subject to title 28, chapter 19, 20 or 22 or title 34, chapter 2 or 6 even if the contract also includes vertical improvements. If a city or town imposes a tax on contracts that are subject to procurement processes under those provisions, the city or town shall include in the request for proposals a notice to bidders when those projects are subject to the tax. This subdivision does not apply to contracts with:

(i) Community facilities districts, fire districts, county television improvement districts, community park maintenance districts, cotton pest control districts, hospital districts, pest abatement districts, health service districts, agricultural improvement districts, county free library districts, county jail districts, county stadium districts, special health care districts, public health services districts, theme park districts or revitalization districts.

(ii) Any special taxing district not specified in item (i) of this subdivision if the district does not substantially engage in the modification, maintenance, repair, replacement or alteration of surface or subsurface improvements to land.

15. Monitoring services relating to an alarm system as defined in section 32-101.

16. Tangible personal property, job printing or publications sold to or purchased by, or tangible personal property leased, rented or licensed for use to or by, a qualifying health sciences educational institution as defined in section 42-5001.

17. The transfer of title or possession of coal back and forth between an owner or operator of a power plant and a person who is responsible for refining coal if both of the following apply:

(a) The transfer of title or possession of the coal is for the purpose of refining the coal.

(b) The title or possession of the coal is transferred back to the owner or operator of the power plant after completion of the coal refining process. For the purposes of this subdivision, "coal refining process" means the application of a coal additive system that aids the reduction of power plant emissions during the combustion of coal and the treatment of flue gas.

18. Tangible personal property incorporated or fabricated into a project described in paragraph 14 of this subsection, that is located within the exterior boundaries of an Indian reservation for which the owner, as defined in section 42-5075, of the project is an Indian tribe or an affiliated Indian. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Affiliated Indian" means an individual Native American Indian who is duly registered on the tribal rolls of the Indian tribe for whose benefit the Indian reservation was established.

(b) "Indian reservation" means all lands that are within the limits of areas set aside by the United States for the exclusive use and occupancy of an Indian tribe by treaty, law or executive order and that are recognized as Indian reservations by the United States department of the interior.

(c) "Indian tribe" means any organized nation, tribe, band or community that is recognized as an Indian tribe by the United States department of the interior and includes any entity formed under the laws of that Indian tribe.

19. The charges for the leasing or renting of space to make attachments to utility poles as follows:

(a) By a person that is engaged in the business of providing or furnishing electrical services or telecommunication services or that is a cable operator.

(b) To a person that is engaged in the business of providing or furnishing electrical services or telecommunication services or that is a cable operator.

20. Until March 1, 2017, the gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from entry fees paid by participants for events that consist of a run, walk, swim or bicycle ride or a similar event, or any combination of these events.

21. The gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from entry fees paid by participants for events that are operated or conducted by nonprofit organizations that are exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code and of which no part of the organization's net earnings inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, if the event consists of a run, walk, swim or bicycle ride or a similar event, or any combination of these events.

22. The gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from sales of machinery and equipment used directly for energy storage for later electrical use. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) "Electric utility scale" means a person that is engaged in a business activity described in section 42-5063, subsection A or such person's equipment or wholesale electricity suppliers.

(b) "Energy storage" means commercially available technology for electric utility scale that is capable of absorbing energy, storing energy for a period of time and thereafter dispatching the energy and that uses mechanical, chemical or thermal processes to store energy.

(c) "Machinery and equipment used directly" means all machinery and equipment that are used for electric energy storage from the point of receipt of such energy in order to facilitate storage of the electric energy to the point where the electric energy is released.

23. The gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from a contract to install containment structures. For the purposes of this paragraph, "containment structure" means a structure that prevents, monitors, controls or reduces noxious or harmful discharge into the environment.

B. A city, town or other taxing jurisdiction shall not levy a transaction privilege, sales, use, franchise or other similar tax or fee, however denominated, on natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas used to propel a motor vehicle.

C. A city, town or other taxing jurisdiction shall not levy a transaction privilege, sales, gross receipts, use, franchise or other similar tax or fee, however denominated, on gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from any of the following:

1. A motor carrier's use on the public highways in this state if the motor carrier is subject to a fee prescribed in title 28, chapter 16, article 4.

2. Leasing, renting or licensing a motor vehicle subject to and on which the fee has been paid under title 28, chapter 16, article 4.

3. The sale of a motor vehicle and any repair and replacement parts and tangible personal property becoming a part of such motor vehicle to a motor carrier who is subject to a fee prescribed in title 28, chapter 16, article 4 and who is engaged in the business of leasing, renting or licensing such property.

4. Incarcerating or detaining in a privately operated prison, jail or detention facility prisoners who are under the jurisdiction of the United States, this state or any other state or a political subdivision of this state or of any other state.

5. Transporting for hire persons, freight or property by light motor vehicles subject to a fee under title 28, chapter 15, article 4.

6. Any amount attributable to development fees that are incurred in relation to the construction, development or improvement of real property and paid by the taxpayer as defined in the model city tax code or by a contractor providing services to the taxpayer. For the purposes of this paragraph:

(a) The attributable amount shall not exceed the value of the development fees actually imposed.

(b) The attributable amount is equal to the total amount of development fees paid by the taxpayer or by a contractor providing services to the taxpayer and the total development fees credited in exchange for the construction of, contribution to or dedication of real property for providing public infrastructure, public safety or other public services necessary to the development. The real property must be the subject of the development fees.

(c) "Development fees" means fees imposed to offset capital costs of providing public infrastructure, public safety or other public services to a development and authorized pursuant to section 9-463.05, section 11-1102 or title 48 regardless of the jurisdiction to which the fees are paid.

7. Any amount attributable to fees collected by transportation network companies issued a permit pursuant to section 28-9552.

8. Transporting for hire persons by transportation network company drivers on transactions involving transportation network services as defined in section 28-9551.

9. Transporting for hire persons by vehicle for hire companies that are issued permits pursuant to section 28-9503.

10. Transporting for hire persons by vehicle for hire drivers on transactions involving vehicle for hire services as defined in section 28-9501.

D. A city, town or other taxing jurisdiction shall not levy a transaction privilege, sales, use, franchise or other similar tax or fee, however denominated, in excess of one-tenth of one percent of the value of the entire product mined, smelted, extracted, refined, produced or prepared for sale, profit or commercial use, on persons engaged in the business of mineral processing, except to the extent that the tax is computed on the gross proceeds or gross income from sales at retail.

E. In computing the tax base, any city, town or other taxing jurisdiction shall not include in the gross proceeds of sales or gross income:

1. A manufacturer's cash rebate on the sales price of a motor vehicle if the buyer assigns the buyer's right in the rebate to the retailer.

2. The waste tire disposal fee imposed pursuant to section 44-1302.

F. A city or town shall not levy a use tax on the storage, use or consumption of tangible personal property in the city or town by a school district or charter school.

G. A city, town or taxing jurisdiction shall not levy a transaction privilege, sales, gross receipts, use, franchise or other similar tax or fee, however denominated, on gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from over-the-top services. For the purposes of this subsection, "over-the-top services" means audio or video programming services that are received by the purchaser by means of an internet connection, regardless of the technology used, that include linear or live programming and that are generally considered comparable to programming provided by a radio or television broadcast station and includes related on-demand programming that is provided at no additional charge, regardless of whether the services are provided independently or packaged with other audio or video programming.

H. From and after December 31, 2024, a city, town or other taxing jurisdiction may not levy a transaction privilege, sales, gross receipts, use, franchise or other similar tax or fee, however denominated, on the business of renting or leasing real property for residential purposes. This subsection:

1. Does not apply to health care facilities, long-term care facilities or hotel, motel or other transient lodging businesses.

2. Applies regardless of whether the city or town has adopted the model city tax code pursuant to article 2 of this chapter.

I. For the purposes of this section:

1. "Cable operator" has the same meaning prescribed in section 9-505 and includes a video service provider.

2. "Electrical services" means transmitting or distributing electricity, electric lights, current or power over lines, wires or cables.

3. "Telecommunication services" means transmitting or relaying sound, visual image, data, information, images or material over lines, wires or cables by radio signal, light beam, telephone, telegraph or other electromagnetic means.

4. "Utility pole" means any wooden, metal or other pole used for utility purposes and the pole's appurtenances that are attached or authorized for attachment by the person controlling the pole.